Allentown, PA

Allentown is the largest city in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley and serves as the county seat of Lehigh County, with a population of roughly 125,000 residents. Once a thriving industrial hub, the city has spent recent decades reinventing itself, and today it carries the energy of a mid-sized American city in the midst of a cultural revival, with a new arena, revitalized downtown, and growing food and arts scene. It sits about 60 miles north of Philadelphia and roughly 90 miles west of New York City, placing it squarely in the busy Northeast Corridor. The city is best known for hiding the Liberty Bell during the Revolutionary War, for being the subject of Billy Joel's 1982 hit "Allentown," and for serving as a gateway to the Lehigh Valley's historic towns, the Pocono Mountains, and a cluster of regional amusement and outdoor destinations.

The Liberty Bell Shrine at Zion Reformed Church preserves one of the most unusual chapters in American Revolutionary history. In the fall of 1777, the bell was transported from Philadelphia to Allentown and concealed beneath the floorboards of the church to keep it out of British hands. Today, visitors can tour the small museum beneath the church, see a replica of the bell in its hiding place, and learn about the broader story of Pennsylvania's wartime capital relocation. The shrine is located in the heart of downtown Allentown, just minutes from the city's center.

Just west of the city, Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom offers a full day of family entertainment. Operating since 1884, the park features more than 60 rides, including roller coasters, a separate water park complex, and a beautifully preserved antique carousel. It is located in South Whitehall Township, roughly a 10-minute drive from downtown Allentown, and is one of the most-visited attractions in the region.

The America on Wheels Museum celebrates the history of American transportation, with a particular emphasis on automobiles, bicycles, and the trucks built in the Lehigh Valley. Housed in a restored industrial building along the Lehigh River, the museum features rotating exhibits of classic cars, vintage motorcycles, and the locally manufactured Mack trucks. It sits about a five-minute drive from the heart of downtown.

Outdoor recreation is never far from Allentown. The surrounding Lehigh Valley offers hiking, biking, and whitewater rafting on the Lehigh River, while the Poconos provide ski areas such as Blue Mountain Resort, about 20 miles to the north. Closer in, the Lehigh Parkway follows Little Lehigh Creek just outside downtown with miles of paved and natural-surface trails for casual visitors.

Allentown's combination of Revolutionary-era history, a freshly revitalized downtown, a major regional amusement park, and easy access to both the Pocono Mountains and the Philadelphia-New York corridor makes it a versatile base for short-term rentals. Guests can fill a weekend with museums, historic sites, and outdoor adventure without ever leaving the Lehigh Valley, while still being within a comfortable day trip of the region's largest cities.